Tag: china

Uncategorized

Setting a Beautiful Summer Table with Dolly Madison China…

French Ethereal

Happy Tuesday, friends! It’s time for another Pinterest Challenge hosted by my friend Cindy of County Road 407, thank you Cindy!! If you are just coming over from Laura at Everyday Edits and/or are new to French Ethereal, welcome! I am so glad you all came today as this month our theme is Summer Tablescapes, something dear to my heart…

Our inspiration photo from Sanctuary Home Decor…

My takeaway

I love Karen’s table set out on her back patio for a summertime meal! It is so pretty with all the whitewashed wood of her table and chairs, and the pretty soft cream and soft pink peonies.

The flowers look like they are floating above the table set in their clear glass bottles ~ really ethereal!

Her table looks like it is set for a light meal featuring soup and sourdough bread ~ perfect when it it hot outside and we often don’t feel much like eating a big meal.

Blue mophead hydrangeas from my garden

My table

I began my table with spreading out this small summertime quilt given to me by my mother a long time ago, if I remember correctly. She found it at a local church bazaar in Connecticut.

I love all the yellows, greens and pops of red and pink and roses and it is a perfect complement to all of the rose-covered china.

All of the tableware with the exception of the Crown Dorset teapot (right, covered in dark and lighter pink roses, green leaves and smaller yellow roses), was a new gift from my mother-in-law Gini, who is out here visiting with my sister-in-law Jodi and nephew Corey from California.

My husband and mother-in-law at our wedding in 1987.

I have a patio outback but we’ve been cooking outdoors and there is no beautiful grass out there, just dirt, so I chose to stay indoors with my tablescape this time. 🙂

I set the table then realized I hadn’t brought out any clear glassware so I reshot some photos and they will be intermixed.

Collecting vintage china

This vintage china is called Dolly Madison by Castleton and there are enough placesettings for 9 guests. I love the simple centered dark pink rose set into each plate and on each side of the teacups. Next to their IOOF lodge in Sacramento, California, they open a thriftshop on the weekends once a month, I think, and she found these pretty pieces there.

The chocolate pot my mother-in-law also found at the same thriftshop and it is stunning! I have always wanted one and this one is unmarked except for KW 5634. It appears to be an antique French piece and is bone china with gilding around the teapots upper and lower scalloped edges.

Love all of these pieces!!!

Here is our table all set and with several of the remaining hydrangea blooms in small glass containers surrounding the main teapot vase…

We had a loaf of French bread so it is in here, too, helping recreate the look of our inspiration piece.

A sweet table set for sweet thoughtful family!…

I’ve used my older and almost vintage Simply Shabby Chic handkerchief napkins underneath my silverware. These are no longer available but you might find them online or at your local estate sales and thrift stores. 🙂

New plants are settling in nicely outdoors. I’ll share a summer update on the garden soon.

And that’s my recreation of today’s lovely tablescape!

Thank you so much for visiting today! Continuing the tour, we head back up top to visit Cindy at County Road 407. And, here is the list with everyone participating today if you like to jump around, too… 😉

Enjoy all these incredible tablescapes,

Barb 🙂

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Uncategorized

Don’t Mince if It’s Chintz!

French Ethereal
Chintzware is having a huge resurgence in popularity just as it did in the very late 1990’s and into the 2000’s. Hugely popular when chintzware first was produced in English potteries from the late 19th century into the early 1900’s through the 1940’s, chintz became popular all over again. I had already found a few chintz transferware pieces while out visiting antiques malls with my friends in California, so I too was swept along in the craze… 
 
Do you remember an issue of Victoria Magazine’s back in the 1990’s sharing Rob Lowe’s former wife’s chintz collection?? She had an enormous collection of chintzware that I would drool over and it has been a favorite of mine to collect ever since…

This sweet teacup set  I ordered online from a lady in Washington and it is a
Royal Albert Crown China piece from around the 1920’s or 1930’s. The name of this pattern isn’t stamped on the back like other potteries did back then (denoting that it is an early piece from possibly even before 1901, the year potteries were required to begin production stamps per country).
My guess is it is a version of “Summertime” originally produced by Royal Winton and it came in different background colour-ways. 
 
When English chintzware was first offered by the potteries located in the Stoke-on-Trent area north of London, the demand for all things chintz absolutely skyrocketed across the United Kingdom, the Continent, Australia and especially here in America! Transferware had been around for about 60 years at that point but these all-over floral china pieces were something entirely new and fresh.  
Here is a photograph I took at our last home sharing our corner-round display cupboard. It held curios when I first bought this piece but later it became a china cabinet of sorts holding teacups and other china, which it has held now for years!
And here is a look at this teacup curio now here in Texas…

A tall stack of teacups with three chintz teacups in view

Top left – an unmarked teacup (possibly Eastern European or from Japan, 1950’s) with pink roses and vines which is part of a luncheon set including a cup and scallop-shaped sandwich plate with indent to hold the cup. These luncheon sets were popular in the 1940’s and 1950’s for serving guests at home and at events. Often these luncheon sets are found in more of a clear or colored carnival glass rather than chintzware like this one is.
Back bottom – Royal Winton’s reproduction of its original “Welbeck” tableware which is so pretty with its yellow background, sprigs of realistic dark pink roses, blue forget-me-nots with pink tulips and yellow daffodils.
This set was produced in 1995 when chintzware had its second wave of popularity (due in large part to Victoria’s chintz publications). Still a favorite and yes! you can drink out of these as long as their are no interior cracks in the glaze.
🙂
Top right front – Royal Albert’s Old Country Roses 1999 teacup and saucer with gilding on the teacup’s handle, rim and footed bottom as well as along the saucer’s rim.
Here is the luncheon plate leaning against the curio cupboard’s back glass. My best friend Janet gave me this set back in the early 2000’s for my birthday. She found it an an antique mall in Roseville, California.
Decorate Your Coffee Table for Fall
Here I’ve paired Royal Winton’s “Welbeck” teapot with three other transferware decorated styles for a late summer-early fall look. “Welbeck” is the yellow background version of “Summertime,” the same floral chintz on a creamy white background.
This Arthur Wood and Son modern teapot was a gift from the ladies in my tea group from the Victorian Tea Society in California after we moved into our last home. I practically killed myself painting that long living room wall a blue-green (photo below), unpacking every box downstairs, and then hosting a tea just three weeks after we moved into the Big House in the spring of 2004. (Which meant cleaning the downstairs like a mad woman before the tea!). Good thing I was young then!
😉

I love that the ladies thought to bring me this modern chintz teapot on its bright cheery pale aqua background as a house-warming gift!

I do miss the size of this living/dining room! We swapped the two once and it was sooo cozy for winter. Loved the blue-green of this wall!!
It was in use at a peacock tea I had 10 years later when I first started my blog in 2014 (I know this as my phone and instamatic cameras never took photographs this clear! Plus I had painted these chairs by then.).
The tablecloth I found in England in 2005 when I went to visit my brother and his family there. Linnea and I would leave the kids home and go thrift-shopping around Sawtry, where they lived, and to antiques stores for a couple of hours. The kids just wanted to stay and play and were plenty old enough to be on their own then. This was one of the pretties I brought home from that trip.
Here in this home chintzware is having another heyday and afternoon sunlight just brings out each piece’s beauty even more!
A study in b & w.
~ Sparkle!!! ~
One of my other sisters-in-law Kim bought this dark pink chintz one-cup pour-over for me for Christmas one year.  Perfect for carrying on a small tray to take tea into another room in the house or out-of-doors, it is a fun functional piece!
Anyone for tea?
🙂
 
 
Here is the “Summertime” teapot by House of Claridge. In the 1990’s, Gail Claridge created The House of Claridge and asked Royal Winton to reproduce their vintage chintzware prints in new china styles that she designed.
 
 
Did you spot the oops?
I joined an online email chat group from England back then which produced a newsletter for chintzware lovers. Emailing members and learning about the history of different and rare pieces of chintzware, transferware in general and just reading those newsletters was a lot of fun!
Any shares would be most appreciated!
🙂
If you’d like to check out some of my other posts on china patterns and the like, you might like these here and here.
One of my earliest tea posts written five years ago sharing about meeting the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson at Macy’s and the teaset and tray my husband gifted me for Mother’s Day that year.
Glad you stopped by,
Barb 🙂
Uncategorized

Royal Week ~ Limoges Porcelain Fit for Royalty

French Ethereal

Royal Wedding week  for HRH Prince Harry and his fiancée Ms. Meghan Markle and it wouldn’t be complete without a small discussion and a little history about “taking tea.” Warming us when it’s chilly outside and cooling us down when poured over ice cubes in the summer ~ tea is the perfect drink no matter what side of the Pond one lives on! 😉


courtesy of Yahoo.com images, saved to Period Dress on Pinterest

Excitement and guessing about what the bride’s dress will look like are all part of what is being shared this week surrounding the upcoming Saturday nuptials at St. George’s Cathedral, Windsor Castle, England of
HRH Prince Harry of England and Ms. Meghan Markle ~ a fairy tale being played out much like one 62 years ago where another American actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco in April of 1956.

 

 
 

Tea and Brits

Tea and the British go together like… well…

tea and biscuits…



This week I shared a post about porcelain fit for a king so today I thought I’d share a little about how tea time as we know it came to be.

Tea as a drink has its origins in China in the year 2737 BC when Emperor Shennong was away from home with his army. His servant was preparing hot water for him to drink and a leaf from the camellia sinensis bush blew into his cup. The leaf went undetected and Emperor Shennong drank from the cup and found the brewed tea to his liking.

Tastingtea.jpg

By English wikipedia, Public Domain, Link
 

In the 1500’s, Portuguese priests and merchants were offered tea  to drink in China and they enjoyed it and brought tea leaves back to their part of the Western world. Tea became a popular drink in the United Kingdom
during the next century.


The East India Tea Company brought tea production to India during this time in order to compete with China. Consumption of tea was mostly for the upper classes initially as tea was expensive but with England being able to produce its own tea, the drink was eventually cost-effective and made available to everyone.

 
Anna Maria, Marchioness of Tavistock.jpg
Anna, Duchess of Bedford By Unknown – http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2716693070094285158FiYlXt, Public Domain, Link

Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, started the tradition of afternoon tea back in 1840 by inviting in a few friends to share a light meal to stave off hunger between the noon meal and dinner

which then was served at 8:00p.m.

The idea took off as apparently everyone was hungry and
high tea became very fashionable.
 
What’s the difference between the different tea repasts
you ask?
 
According to a nice post by Tea Time magazine afternoon tea {also called a low tea} is a light afternoon snack where little finger or tea sandwiches, scones and cake is served. High tea is a little more substantial with savories and meats included with the tea and is more like what we would call supper. High tea is served at 5:00p.m.
 
 
Not really a tea but too beautiful not to share.  🙂
Here is a table set for a light dinner at the Biltmore Estate
that I shared in my Biltmore at Christmas post last December.
 
 

A cream tea is a tea that serves scones with clotted cream and a small pot of jam.

In the Victorian Tea Society when we had teas at each other’s

homes we really had an afternoon tea.

Once in a while if a friend just happened to stop by

then I might have a cream tea as a mid-morning snack

but actually a cream tea is a type of afternoon tea

in the United Kingdom.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tea Accoutrements

Tea tins

Earlier this year I found this tea tin at HomeGoods and since it works with our British tea theme today plus it’s my favorite color…  Just had to share here with you today! On the back of this sweet pink tin of black tea by the Keep Calm and Carry On Beverage company, Ltd. there is a summary of how the famous saying on WWII British posters came to be:
 
“On the eve of WWII the British Government printed 2.5 million Keep Calm and Carry On posters. The aim of the simple five word statement was to convey tot he country a message of reassurance for the troubled times that lay ahead.
“The posters went unused and subsequently destroyed at the end of the war.  Some 55 years later a second hand book dealer in the North of England discovered a copy of the poster in a box of books bought for auction.  That find marked the rebirth and launch of the Keep Calm and Carry On message into the 20th Century.”
Tea tins have been in production for over a century now  but tea was first stored in small locked tea chests or boxes within the home {think the Boston Tea Party of Dec. 16, 1773}.

Tea bags

There are first cutting and second cuttings of tea with the first cut referred to as the best tea for that harvest from the camellia sinensis bushes at a tea plantation.  Brewing a cup or pot of loose leaf tea is still the best tasting way to enjoy tea.

There are differing types of tea ~ white, black, oolong, rooibos, green tea and more.

There are also tisanes which are herbal blends and not really teas but most people call them tea anyway.
 
The invention of the tea bag is considered as 1908 with little hand-sewn bags of fabric, usually silk.  Patents were applied for as early as 1903 with production beginning in 1904 and successful marketing of tea bags by 1908, hence the date.

Tea spoons

Spoons specifically for tea were originally called mote spoons and were created by Colonial pewter and silversmiths here in America.
These spoons were long-handled with slots in the spoon face itself for removing tea leaves from one’s cup and from the crevices of the tea pot’s spout. 
 
Pretty interesting stuff, huh?
🙂
 
 
 
 
 

I hope  you’ve enjoyed this little history of tea today and

please check some of my other posts featuring tea

by just searching “tea,” “teatime” and “table settings” in

the search bar along the top, I believe it is.

🙂

Set your recorder  to record the royal wedding which will begin at 4am EST this coming Saturday morning on all the major news channels starting at various times.

Check there programming for the correct time for that station ~ especially if you aren’t planning to get up to watch it live

 

Today’s post then is sharing some beautiful china
fit for royalty! 

 


 

This sweet Art Deco creamer with it’s zeppelin ridged style is lovely used as a flower vase.

 

 

 

Lovely Limoges  

 

 

 

 

Porcelain tableware from the late 1800’s through the 1940’s from European countries such as Austria, Germany, 
Selisia {modern day Poland} and especially France capture the heart
like no other ceramicware.

 

Beautiful, lightweight and durable with hand-painted gold details and decorated with roses and sweet garden flowers ~

 

Limoges and the ceramics from this time period are just as fashionable today as when these pieces

 

were first made. 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Variety of uses
 
In today’s modern setting ~ vintage and antique Limoge can be used for their original purpose as placesettings for dining or just decoratively as I tend to use many of these pieces here.

Antique china tends to have small chips often along its edges called flea bites and small crazing all over if not down and out cracks and repaired breaks which someone lovingly repaired long ago.
Other than drops, much of this is probably due to the stresses of weather and time as well as from being boxed away and stored when not in use or in fashion. 
🙂

 

 

 
Here I’ve repurposed this antique Irish soup tureen to display a candle ~ lovely!
 
 

Tip

Even if a piece doesn’t have any cracks or crazing ~ hot foods can cause any lead to leak out becoming poisonous so only use antique and vintage tableware with cold foods or place a clear plate between any food and your beautiful piece. 
 
 
 
This O and EG Royal Austria plate was manufactured somewhere between 1898 – 1918.  I hadn’t realized it was that old!
 
 
 
 

Too beautiful to just throw away past owners kept these 
ethereal pieces until it was decided to let someone else

enjoy their beauty…

 

This cake plate (above photograph, lower left) is really a Victorian or Edwardian era soup dish with flatter sides as was popular for dinner parties at the turn of the last century. This porcelain soup bowl was made by a pottery manufacturing company called O and E. G. ~ then owned by brothers Oscar and Edgar Gutherz. 


 
This little antique creamer with its zeppelin shape charmingly holds some posies.
 
 
 

 

According to a site called The Porcelain Zone Oscar Gutherz began the firm with Maximilan Marx decorating porcelain. Gutherz’ brother Edgar joined the firm after Edgar bought out Marx’s interest in the company. The company was commonly called Royal Austria Factory, according to the Porcelain Zone. From there, the brothers went on the produce porcelain themselves. 
 
Here are the years of production to help date a piece of their tableware if you have or find some: 
 
1876 – 1898: Marx and Gutherz
1898 – 1918:  Oscar and Edgar Gutherz
1918 – 1920:  OEPIAG – Österreichische Porzellan-Industrie AG
1920 – 1945:  EPIAG – Erste Porzellan-Industrie AG / Karlsbad
1945 – 1958:  EPIAG / Starorolsky Porcelán
 

 

 
 
This gilded Haviland deviled egg serving dish
has held berries on the table and does
double duty as a decorative soap holder
in our bathroom.
 
 
 
A collection of O and E G plates mixed with Haviland Limoges and other European tableware.
 
 

Practical uses
 
A practical way to use many of these pieces is by mixing them in with today’s modern tableware. My favorite thing to do is use reproduction cups and saucers that I know can be safely used for tea or coffee and the plates themselves can be used for cold foods like finger sandwiches, cold fruit and desserts.
 
If there is any doubt about using a dinner plate or salad plate for dining then a way to use them safely is by adding a clear glass or plastic plate over top to eat off of instead while enjoying the beautiful plate below.

 



 

My friend Gloria would do this whenever she used her antique carnival glass for our tea luncheons ~  although it may have been safe to use “as is” since it’s glass. The extra glass plate on top doesn’t detract from the look of the table either as it is almost invisible to the eye.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another tip

 

The acid in citrus fruits can also pull lead out of pieces of porcelain.
Place a paper doily under your fruit salad when serving
oranges and mixed fruit salads.
 
 
Little bits of love in a stamp…
 
The history of Limoges

Often we call all of these pretty porcelain pieces Limoges
but that would be a misnomer.  Limoges is a city in France where the base clay called kaoline used in this very
white porcelain was found.




David Haviland already had a thriving china shop in New York when in 1840 he went to France to find a manufacturer out of the

 

many in the area who would create pieces of porcelain that he could then sell to the American public.

 

Haviland eventually moved to the city of Limoges so he could oversee production of his tableware.

 

The city’s name became synonymous with Haviland’s china

 

production and hence the name Limoges stuck.

 


 




 

These pieces were always hand-gilded and sometimes sold as blanks to be hand-painted by women in cottage industries.
This was particularly popular at the beginning of the 20th century with American women.

Manufacturer’s used a newly invented process of transferring a
lithograph onto a piece when decorating a plate or china piece in
house ~ a process of placing a pre-inked tissue stamped by copper
plates which was then “transferred” by hand by a worker
onto each china blank.
The pieces were then fired at a low temperature to fuse the
beautiful prints into the clay. 

 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 

An interesting book published by the Haviland Collectors International Foundation (HCIF) called
Celebrating 150 Years of Haviland China: 1842-1992
catalogues the history of the Haviland family and
an amazing amount of tableware pieces. 

 

 

 
A couple of years ago I shared my story of meeting Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and I thought I had shared about Royal Winton potteries as I have a book in storage about their manufacturing facilities and their process but perhaps not.
 
 
 
 
This book shares many photographs of the artists and young women at work applying transfers to pieces of china and hand painting ~ really interesting if you like
studying this sort of thing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sets of china

 
Monogrammed china available as souvenirs is always created for royal newlyweds and though the new Duke and Duchess won’t have their official new titles bestowed upon them until
 
after the wedding ceremony you can bet their actual family china will be spectacular. 
 

 

 
 
 
For other wonderful royalty posts check out my friend
Laura Ingalls Gunn’s wedding week posts on her blog
Decor to Adore.
She shares many posts on tiaras and all things royal.
🙂 
 
 
A favorite photograph from this year’s Valentine’s post.
 
 
 
 
Sharing with
 Dishing It and Digging It
Wow
Thursday Favorite Things
Feathered Nest Friday
Sweet Inspiration
Inspire Me Monday
Friday Features
Hearth and Soul
Create Bake Grow and Gather
Tablescape Thursday
Best of the Weekend ~ Pender and Peony
Tuesday Cup of Tea ~ Antiques and Teacups
Tea in the Garden ~ Bernadine’s
 
 
 
 
 
If you’ve enjoyed this post here are several others
on all things royal:
 
Tea with the Duchess
Add Sweet Vintage Candy Boxes to your Decor
Royal Week: Keep Calm and Drink Tea!
 
 
 
 
 

Three cheers for love,

Barb

Uncategorized

Easy Transitioning to Fall and a Tea Cake Recipe

French Ethereal
As we head into fall with daylight getting
just a bit shorter with each day’s passing ~
how do we make the transition
from summer to fall?



One simple way to transition to fall is
by changing out summer’s pastel blooms and
replacing them with dried
or faux flowers.
Also by switching out the glass vases
you’ve been using all 
summer and replace those with
decorative willow baskets
to hold these autumn beauties.

Dried hydrangea and roses mingle with homemade toile pumpkins.
Later on these fall baskets can be augmented
and made more full by adding in
some dried grasses
pheasant feathers or more faux blooms
to create bigger bouquets as needed
in your decorating.
Bigger bouquets are lovely to display on our
fall dining room tables and also on
our buffets and sideboards.
<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}
Luxurious golden bouquets will give that
autumn richness
we all like to share when company
comes over for
<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}
fall get-togethers. 

Golden pieces of cake mingle with glowing grapes and homemade napkins and tablecloth at this tea party.

Evening golden light is already
transitioning to fall as captured here
<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} p.separator, li.separator, div.separator {mso-style-name:separator; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}
in these photographs…


The golden colors in fall blooms and baskets

help create that transition of one’s decor
away from the bright colors
pastels and beachy blues often used
in summer decorating.
These sun-kissed gilded colors found in
freshly mown hay
sunflowers and fiery orange and gold sunsets
take us into the fall season
matching nature’s autumnal

<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}

foliage displays.



Another way to transition to fall is to
begin baking so today at this little tea party
<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} p.separator, li.separator, div.separator {mso-style-name:separator; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}
I’m sharing another of
my favorite desserts:


*Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Ingredients
2 2/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup poppy seeds
1 Tbsp. grated lemon peel (rind)
Directions
Preheat oven to slow 325 degree Fahrenheit.  Grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan.
Sift together butter and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Beat in yolks one at a time.  Add sifted dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk
to egg mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat well after each addition.
Beat until smooth.  Beat in poppy seeds and lemon rind. Set aside.
Beat egg whites until foamy.  Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar until meringue
forms soft peaks.  Fold into batter until no white remains.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake in
oven at 325 degrees F for 55 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched with fingertips {use a cake tester and check the center of the cake; when it comes out clean the cake is done}.

<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}

Let stand 5 minutes.  Loosen cake around tube with a spatula {or butter knife}.
Invert onto a wire rack.  Cool completely.  Just before serving, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.

<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}

*This is an old Family Circle recipe.  🙂




Sharing with

Saturday Sparks ~ Pieced Pastimes
Dishing It and Digging It ~ Rustic and Refined
Friday at the Fire Station ~ A Fireman’s Wife
Sweet Inspiration ~ The Boondocks Blog
Friday Features ~ Oh, My Heartsie Girl!
Fresh Starts at Hearth and Soul ~ April J. Harris
So there are just a few ways to make
the transition to fall a 
simple and easy one.
Happy Labor Day weekend!
<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}
Enjoy this recipe,
Uncategorized

Maker’s Marks on Serving Piece and What They Mean

French Ethereal
Makers’ marks on the 
undersides of teacups, 
saucers, plates and other pieces of dishes and 
silverware have been used for centuries.
They can tell us roughly when a piece was made
who made it {what manufacturer} and 
in the case of silver and pewter
the content purity of
the precious metals used in a
piece’s production.




Makers’ Marks

Those little stamped, painted or impressed marks 
can tell a lot about a piece of pottery or silverware.
They are a manufacturer’s registration marks
showing that a piece came from their company.
A lot of “copying” was going on between potteries.  
Blanks were often created at one pottery 
then sold to others who would decorate the
blanks with their company’s designs.
Multiple marks can be on the backs
of your china pieces.
This occurs in silver production, too, which is 
why you will sometimes see up to
four distinct markings on your
fine silver trays and other fine silver and 
pewter serving pieces.



Colors ~ What do they mean?

Whether black, green, blue or another color
those colors signify in what year
a piece was produced.
Often a maker would keep the same
“stamp” but just change the print color.

I have a book about Royal Winton china and 
in it the author’ speaks about colors 
signifying approximate date years
when pieces were produced.
To see some of their colored back stamps
please check out:
https://www.royalwinton.co.uk/2013/03/04/back-stamps/

These backstamps are really fun to look at
then the more you look
time goes by and you may not realize that
an hour or more has passed!
😉

This set came with 46 married pieces.

Just like people, you may find that your
new favorite china set or piece may come
with a few bumps and bruises.
But that’s okay.
We pick up the pieces, patch ourselves up
and get right back in the saddle.

The repaired creamer is the piece to the very far right.
This transferware set above has a creamer
which has had the handle repaired
but is still lovely nonetheless.

Finding complete sets of china in thriftshops
or antique stores is always a challenge.
Most are married sets and this one
is absolutely no exception.
I flipped all these pieces over and studied
those backstamps looking at the colors
and registration numbers.
Mine is a married set of two different
firings, but that’s okay.
They all go together.
🙂
Royal Winton’s June Roses, I believe ~ a lovely vintage teacup in my collection.  Now “for looks only.” 

Something to note

It’s important to have vintage china checked 
for lead leakage before eating anything hot off of it.
I was sick, really sick, about 10-12 years ago
because I was drinking hot tea fairly regularly
out of the above chintzware teacup 
that I had purchased online.
This chintz teacup was made in the 1930’s or earlier
and I was inadvertently poisoning myself.
Losing my hair in small clumps
vomiting once everyday
and diarrhea
became the norm for a month!
Only several years later did I realize
that that was what had 
made me so sick.

I’d never thought about the fact that 
it could be poisonous!
Not the way you want to lose 20 pounds
in one month
trust me on this one…

So, enjoy those makers’ marks
on your lovely china. 
The next time you pick up a china piece at an 
antique store or a flea market,
enjoy thinking of where that piece came from
and the many people who worked 
to create that “lovely”
you now hold in 
your hand.


Sharing with
Create Link Inspire ~ The Crafty Blog Stalker
http://thecraftyblogstalker.com/create-link-inspire-linky-party/

Totally Terrific Tuesday ~ The Savvy Apron
http://www.savvyapron.com/totally-terrific-tuesday-130/

Wow Us Wednesday ~ Savvy Southern Style
Feathered Nest Friday ~ French Country Cottage




Blessings and Happy Teatime
to you,
Uncategorized

Beauty and the Beast ~ A Fairy Ta{b}le

French Ethereal

Beauty and the Beast
And a table setting inspired by
a potential prince and his beautiful 
and smart princess-to-be…


Belle was just a girl dreaming
of something more.
The Beast?
Well, he needed to learn
a few life lessons…

Today’s storybook tableau tale features 
indigo ‘Liberty Blue’ plates 
found while thrift-shopping.
With swirls of flowers
as lovely as 
those encircling
18th century French castles,
this table setting
is worthy of bringing
two people together.

Candlelight
a delicate bouquet
or two,
glasses for toasting,
and the delicate 
clinking of silver…

{Could that be Lumiére?}

Add caption
Flash forward… Furniture comes to life and 
Mrs. Potts and her son Chip
the teacup
along with a 
host of other fun characters
help 
the Beast and Belle
find true love.

Chip: Mama, there’s a girl in the castle!

Mrs. Potts: Now, Chip, I won’t have you making up such stories. Now into the tub.

Chip: But mama!

Featherduster: Madame! There is a girl in the castle!

Chip: See! I told you.

  — Beauty and the Beast, 1991 animated movie*
 *https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/beauty_and_the_beast_1991/quotes/

Tow little fairies visited our tableau offering good wishes and prayers.
 Did the Beast learn the lessons he
needed to know?
Compassion and selfless love ~ made a beast
into a man.
Did Belle get something more
out of life?
The chance of happiness in love and a 
life’s shared adventures 
sometimes is 
just around the corner.

And where would this be if
all good fairy tales didn’t have 
happy endings?…

As the music drifts in:
A tale as old as time, a table as strong
as thine… {apologies to Madame Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve}
Beauty and the Beast…


Later this week:
this “little beast” will be making his
premiere performance
in an upcoming article about alpacas.
{Isn’t he a cutie??!}

Will be sharing with
Inspire Me Monday ~ Create With Joy
A Life in Balance
Refresh Restyle Inspiration Monday ~ VMG 206
Create Link Inspire

Welcome Home Wednesdays ~ Five Kids, a Dog and a Blog
http://www.fivekidsadogandablog.com/welcome-home-wednesdays-91/


Happy Monday
and
Happy First Day of Spring
<span style="font-size: large;

Uncategorized

A Fair Valentine’s Day Table Styling

French Ethereal
A Valentine’s table 
situated sweetly in the garden ~
a story of one of the loveliest 
table stylings ever to be…



A Cinderella story of rags to riches
telling a tale of tables from the past.
China colorfully patterned
with its own scenes from a garden
and delicious
delicacies sweetly heighten
this day’s decor.

“Tea! Bless ordinary everyday afternoon tea!” 
― Agatha Christie

No mice nor pumpkin were in sight
but yes! ruby roses dried and 
ferns do delight.

Two fair maidens attend this
clever cupcake cream tea
bringing their trusty 
Pekingese pooch ~
protector he.

“Mademoiselle? Voulez-vous une tasse de thé?”
said the chickadee all
dressed in plumage black and white.

“Why yes! I’d love a cup.  Mais bien sûr,” 
smiled the lovely Mlle Cinderella
while answering this request.

Cupcakes au chocolate passed twice 
’round the table ~ wearing tiny hearts befitting
the Queen of Hearts.
A perfect Valentine’s Day soirée!

No clock striking twelve here today ~
Cinderella and friends may stay as long
as they wish…
Just the way a good story should end!
😉

***
I’d love to hear your favorite 
Valentine’s Day stories and ideas
Drop me a note as I’d like to visit
your blog and see your
own table stylings!
Please leave a comment
sharing your story.
I will try to create a
Valentine’s Day Linky Party
soon
so we can all share together.
{It was being cranky this evening…}

***ps ~ I decided to go with this story first and share
the Texas Pie Company tomorrow.
Hope you don’t mind!
🙂

***pps ~ And, what do you think of my new Canon lens??
Will be sharing more about it
soon.

Have a blessed Friday,
Barb 🙂



Will be sharing with
Dishing It and Digging It ~ http://www.rusticandrefined.com
Sweet Inspiration ~ http://www.theboondocksblog.com
Fabulously Creative ~ http://www.jenniferrizzo.com
Dishing It and Digging It ~ Oh My Heartsie Girl

Waste Not Wednesday ~ Small Home Soul
http://www.smallhomesoul.com/waste-not-wednesday-36-link-party/
Woo Hoo! This post was featured on ~ 
Oh My Heartsie Girl

Thank you, Oh My Heartsie Girl!
🙂

Uncategorized

John Constable, Painter and the Pink Transferware

French Ethereal

I began this post intending to discuss 
just about this set of china 
but 
I have found instead 
that I am more inclined to talk about this 
china pattern’s inspiration: 
that being the famous 
British landscape painter 
from the Romantic period, 
John Constable.

The Constable Series Bicentennial ~ 1776-1976
series of china by J. Broadhurst Potters
was based on a painting by John Constable
“The Hay Wain”
located at the 
National Gallery in London, England.

This is the painting seen below.
If you click on the painting,
making it bigger brings out the details more.
He tended to paint stormy/cloudy skies and
a lot of his paintings were on the darker side
but they had
amazingly striking photographic qualities.

“The Hay Wain,” 1821, downloaded courtesy of The National Gallery, London.

John Constable (1776-1837) was born at East Bergholt, Suffolk County, England who seemingly grew up drawing and painting everything around him.  He was intended to take over his father’s business and did go to work for him for a year (transporting corn and coal up and down the River Stour), but his father knew this wasn’t his heart and he lovingly allowed John to bow out of the trade and to attend the Royal Academy in London to study painting.  

Constable’s vivid paintings were influenced greatly by how he saw landscapes and life as well as by a painting by Claude Lorrain titled “Hagar and the Angel.” Constable was fortunate enough to see this painting upon a chance meeting with Sir George Beaumont, an amateur painter himself. Beaumont apparently carried this painting wherever he went {he was considered to be rather eccentric, perhaps because of this} and would share this painting with anyone and everyone.

John Constable wasn’t much appreciated at the time by the art world of London.  Realistic landscapes were not en vogue as mythological landscapes and portraitures were the rage then, but Constable kept on with his paintings.  His oversize large canvases (6 footers) were painted displaying life very realistically. Their large size helped them to be noticed.  

An exhibition of several of his works in 1824 at the Paris Salon, including The Hay Wain (the one above), caught the attention of the French judges and he won a gold medal. His body of work was eventually recognized by the Royal Academy and at the age of 54 he was elected into the academy, he being the first to use classical brown tones and for painting in this realistic manner. Today John Constable is noted as one of Great Britain’s premier landscape painters.

“It is the soul that sees; the outward eyes 

Present the object, but the Mind descries. 

We see nothing till we truly understand it.”

 John Constable

For further information on John Constable, please visit these websites/essays:

1.  John Constable ~ an Essay, Elizabeth E. Barker, The Metropolitan Museum of Art 
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jcns/hd_jcns.htm

2. The Biography of John Constable, The Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/biography-of-john-constable/

3. John Constable, essay, Artble
http://www.artble.com/artists/john_constable


I hope you have enjoyed this little biographical information about John Constable, as I have enjoyed learning about him and his life and sharing this information with you!  

I left out pertinent information, such as his marrying and having seven children, as it wasn’t relative to talking about the pink transferware china and how this china pattern came to be.  He created many, many paintings, sketches and drawings that he used to create his masterpieces and all of that can be found in the sources listed above.  The Victoria & Albert have the most extensive collection of Constable’s paintings and other art work  (over 350) donated by his youngest daughter before her death. 

I realize that my own drawings and photographs are greatly influenced by the romantic painters, although it has been up to now unconciously.  I am sure that I must have seen some of Constable’s paintings when I went to the V&A back during my trip to England in 2005.  Part of my quick Seven Hours in London… 🙂

Hopefully you will forgive me for not going into greater detail about his family life.  It is important as I always feel that family plays such an important role in who we are and how we create our artwork.  

And, I hope you have enjoyed my short writings
here.
Blessings to you,
Barb 🙂





Uncategorized

Classic Cream Scones Recipe

French Ethereal

Today I’m sharing a little 
cream scone recipe
I received from a friend
some time ago.
This recipe reminds me of a 
wonderfully rich scone I had with 
clotted cream and jam
in England 
about 10 years ago…



When I flew with my children over to England
to visit my brother and his family in 2005,
my sister~in~law took me to a tea room
in the small town of St. Ives.
We went thrift shopping that day
and it may be the day I bought a tea cart
or the day when
she bought a beautiful 6’ tall
Welsh dresser for her kitchen.

I know we found many wonderful books
during the whole trip and a vintage copy of
Pride and Prejudice.


I don’t really remember what we found that day,
but
what I do remember is the
scrumptious scones we had in the afternoon
which melted in your mouth and were paired 
with a pot of tea
from a
little tea shop
in a town so picturesque
it stepped out of a fairy tale.

This scone recipe comes close 
to that scone…



Classic Cream Scones
Fine Cooking magazine, Winter 2004
published by freelance writer Carol Anderson
reviewed for a newspaper (unknown)
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour                                                                 For the glaze:
1/3 cup granulated sugar                                                             1 lg. egg, beaten with
1 Tbsp. baking powder                                                                  1 Tbsp. milk
½ tsp. salt                                                                                          sprinkle sugar on top
½ cup dried currants (or any dried fruit)                                             
6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes                                   
¾ cup heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
Position oven rack in lower third of the oven; heat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper sprinkled with flour. 
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add currants, tossing until evenly distributed and coated with flour (I put dried cranberries in my scones this time).  Cut in butter with pastry blender until the largest pieces are about the size of peas.
In a small bowl, stir cream and egg yolks just to blend.  Add this all at once to flour mixture.  Stir with a fork to begin combining the wet and dry ingredients, then use your hands to gently knead mixture together until all dry ingredients are absorbed into dough and it can be gathered into a ball.  Don’t overknead.  **Tip: if you don’t have any cream on hand, replace with sour cream thinned and whisked with a little milk. 
The dough is sticky at this point.  Set the ball on floured parchment paper and pat it gently into a round that is 1” thick.  Cut round into 8 wedges (*I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter).  Separate wedges slightly.  Brush scones with glaze; sprinkle a bit of sugar on them. 
Bake until the scones are deep golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a wedge comes out clean.  This will take 13 to 15 minutes. 
Slide the parchment onto a rack and let the scones cool for about 10 minutes before serving.  Makes 8.

<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}

***Carol Anderson says in her article that “good scones follow three basic rules of biscuit making: plenty of cold butter and cream, a light hand when mixing, and a high oven temperature.  **My tip: If you’d like to make your scones like those you’d have as a mid-afternoon tea, make a bigger round scone.  The one I had in England was a bigger scone and was meant almost like a meal.



I hope when you bake these they will
bring you many happy memories
as they did me.
Enjoy,
Barb 🙂




Sharing with

Wow Us Wednesdays ~ Savvy Southern Style
Feathered Nest Friday ~ French Country Cottage
Home and Garden Thursday ~ A Delightsome Life
Friday Feature Linky Party ~ Oh My Heartsie Girl


Uncategorized

{Places to Shop} ~ Frisco Mercantile Antiques Shop

French Ethereal
The very cheerful young ladies who helped wrap up all that pink loveliness for me!
Happy just a few days until
Christmas!
Today I thought I’d just bring you a quick post
about the place where I found all that lovely 
pink transferware ironstone china the other day…



Frisco Mercantile
 8980 Preston Rd.
Frisco, Texas 75034
972-712-7300

Located about an hour north of Dallas, Texas, Frisco Mercantile is an nice venue with over 200 antiques shops inside this huge location carrying so many beautiful wares to buy including Christmas and holiday items as well as painted and stained furniture and gorgeous tinkling chandeliers! {my favorite!}

I wasn’t looking for anything that day
least of all to go shopping
as I’d come down just to check out the area
but…
It’s hard to pass up a new antiques store
to go browsing around in ~ so I did!
And, that’s where I found my new-to-me 
pink transferware.
🙂

Frisco Mercantile reminds me of several 
antiques emporiums 
I’ve visited back in California such as
Vignettes
down in Ocean Beach near San Diego
and
Second Impressions
in Mitchell, South Dakota.

With shop owners carefully curated items for sale
I’m going to have to put blinders on next time as it would
have been really easy to spend a small fortune
here!
And I know that those chandeliers were talking to me…
😉
Usually I look for small items like silver spoons
or vintage linens and really I was only 
looking for candelabras.
Happily I found the one I used in the story about the
Pink transferware
but then I looked up from studying it…
That’s when I saw the transferware pieces tucked into
this white hutch just waiting for me to notice them!
😉

I love this candelabras graceful lines and curves!
It is a lovely complement to the delicate looking pink china,
don’t you think?
It’s a pretty piece and matches a small chandelier
that used to hang in my craftroom back in the Big House.
I’ll have to take a close up photo of this little
tabletop candelabra
so you can see the delicate petals of each leaf
which surrounds each candle holder.
Really pretty!
Loved the entrance all decorated for the holidays here at Frisco Mercantile!
When you are in the Dallas area
do stop by.

 All in all a fun day’s outing!
Enjoy, 
Barb 🙂


Sharing with
Wow Us Wednesdays ~ Savvy Southern Style
Feathered Nest Friday ~ French Country Cottage